Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is carefully selecting South Africa’s next ambassador to the United States, emphasising the need for a high-caliber candidate due to the US being the country’s second-largest trading partner.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) event in Boksburg on Tuesday, Ramaphosa confirmed that the government is working on the replacement after the return of former ambassador Ebrahim Rasool.
“With regards to the US, our ambassador has come back home, obviously it’s up to us as a government to work on replacing our ambassador.
“The US is the second largest trading partner to SA, so therefore, we need to have top-class representation in the US and that is something that we are working on,” Ramaphosa said.
[WATCH] President Cyril Ramaphosa says, “Our sovereignty is important, and our sovereignty as a country should also mean that we must find ways all the time to look after the welfare of South Africans with our own resources.” pic.twitter.com/8BjHen5e08
— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 25, 2025
Ramaphosa said that the appointment of ambassadors is his prerogative as president, and he did not indicate when a new ambassador would be named.
“The president appoints ambassadors and it is within his sole right to appoint ambassadors,” he said.
Rasool was expelled by the US and declared persona non grata following controversial remarks linking President Donald Trump to white supremacy — claims he denies were directed at Trump.
His removal has further strained US-SA diplomatic ties, already tense due to US opposition to South African policies such as the Expropriation Act and the country’s stance on Israel at the ICJ.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
